FURTHER STUDIES OF SINTERED REFRACTORY URANIUM COMPOUNDS

Technical Report · Tue Jan 27 04:00:00 EST 1959

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/4293021· OSTI ID:4293021

Tripler, Jr., A. B.; Snyder, M. J.; Duckworth, W. H.

The refractory uranium compounds UC and UC/sub 2/ were prepared by arc- melting methods, UN by gas solid reactions, and UB/sub 2/ and UBe/aub 13/ by solid-solid reactions. Techniques for sintering powder compacts of these compounds to densities 90% of theoretical or greater were developed. Mean linear thermal-expansion coefficients of 7.9 x 10/sup -6/ per deg F for Uc and 9.3 x 1O/ sup -6/ per deg F for UBe/sub 13/ were obtained in the range 68 to 1800 deg F. The thermal conductivity of sintered UBe/sub 13/ increased from 0.050 cal/ (sec)(cm)(C) at 1OO deg c to 0.064 cal/(sec)(cm)(C) at 650 deg C. The electrical resistivity of sintered UBe/sub 13/ was 113 microhm-cm at 27.6 deg c. Knoop microhardness values varied from 500 for sintered UC/sub 2/ to 1155 for sintered UBe/sub 13/. Sintered Uc and Uc/sub 2/ decompose rapidly in boiling (atmospheric pressure) water. A sintered UBe/sub 13/ compact lost 2.2 mg per cm/sup 2/ (average), after 72 hr in boiling water (atmospheric pressure). Uc/sub 2/ reacts more rapidly with nitrogen and oxygen than does pure uranium. UB/sub 2/ and UBe/ sub 13/ were less reactive with oxygen and nitrogen than is pure uranium. The heat of formation of Uc was -20 plus or minus 5 kcal per mole at 25 deg c. Standard free-energyof-formation equations were estimated for UN, USi/sub 2/, US, UB/sub 2/, UC/sub 2/, and Uc. (auth)

• Research Organization: Battelle Memorial Inst., Columbus, Ohio
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-92
• NSA Number: NSA-13-008908
• OSTI ID: 4293021
• Report Number(s): BMI-1313
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

BERYLLIUM ALLOYS
BOILING
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COMPACTING
DECOMPOSITION
DENSITY
ELECTRIC ARCS
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
EQUATIONS
EXPANSION
FORMATION HEAT
FREE ENERGY
GASES
HARDNESS
HIGH TEMPERATURE
IMPURITIES
INTERMETALLIC COMPOUNDS
MELTING
METALLURGY AND CERAMICS
NITROGEN
OXYGEN
POWDERS
PREPARATION
PRESSURE
REFRACTORIES
SINTERED MATERIALS
SOLIDS
STANDARDS
TEMPERATURE
THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY
THERMODYNAMICS
URANIUM
URANIUM ALLOYS
URANIUM BORIDES
URANIUM CARBIDES
URANIUM NITRIDES
URANIUM SILICIDES
URANIUM SULFIDES
WATER